Cover photo for Carl Wiseheart Sherman's Obituary
Carl Wiseheart Sherman Profile Photo

Carl Wiseheart Sherman

November 21, 1922 — August 5, 2013

Carl Wiseheart Sherman, 90, a resident of Foxdale Village, State College, passed peacefully on August 5, 2013, just shy of "Attitude Adjustment Hour".

Born November 21, 1922 in Glen Ridge, NJ, he was the son of the late Carl L. of Sandoval, IL, and Mary H. [Wiseheart] Sherman of Shawneetown, IL.

Carl married his high school sweetheart, Kathryn A. Hendrickson in Asbury Park, NJ on October 26, 1943. Kate remains at home in Foxdale.

He was awarded a BS degree in Petroleum and Natural Gas [PNG] Engineering from Penn State in January 1948, after serving more than three years in the US Navy as a Mine Sweep Specialist during World War II.

After working as a drilling and production engineer in Louisiana, Carl returned to Penn State as a Research Assistant in the South Penn Lab and was granted an MS degree in PNG Engineering in August 1951.

Throughout the next 25 years, Carl held various engineering and management positions in major and independent oil companies. Among his many accomplishments, he served as Head of the Petroleum Engineering Section of the Illinois Geological Survey, was the first Director of the New York State Division of Oil and Gas, and was a partner in Energy Storage Ventures, an underground gas storage organization. He also consulted for many large and small companies.

For many years, he was a state representative to the Interstate Oil Compact Commission and was the chair of the Illinois Basin section of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. He also served on various industry, governmental and professional committees during his career.

In 1976, Carl and Kate returned to State College, as Carl accepted a position as Associate Professor of PNG Engineering, retiring in 1988. To say Carl truly loved teaching, advising, and daily contact with students would be an understatement. Cookouts and holiday dinners with students became happy traditions at the Shermans' Park Forest home.

Carl loved food and travel [he and Kate were the happy owners of Penn State Travel in the 1980s] and truly savored robust gatherings with friends and family. He and Kate spent wonderful years globe-trekking through Europe, Turkey, Australia, New Zealand, and all across the US. To the end, he thrived on being surrounded by those he loved; delighting in whatever was profound or precious to others. And for reasons still unknown, Carl had a real thing for various types of glues and flashlights.

In addition to his loving wife, Carl is survived by his sons, Dixon [Cathy] Sherman of Cordova, AK, Peter [Mary] of Franklin, MA, and a daughter, Sally Sherman of State College. He also leaves behind four grandchildren and two great-grand children.

All the family is extremely grateful to the innumerable kind and compassionate friends Carl made among Foxdale's medical, maintenance, groundskeeping, kitchen, and office staff and management; all of whom made Carl and Kate's many years at Foxdale Village such a pleasure.

Despite his love of parties, Carl requested there be no formal gathering or service to celebrate his life. Rather, he suggested gifts to the charitable organization of your choice; and/or do something nice for someone else as often as you can. It'll really pay off.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Carl Wiseheart Sherman, please visit our flower store.

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